Book Thoughts: Linked

Title: Linked
Author: Imogen Howson
Series: Linked #1
*Imported from tumblr.*

Elissa used to have a pretty normal life. But that was before she started getting bursts of horrible pain and flashes of another girl’s life. When she finds the girl whose mind she’s been seeing and learns an astonishing secret about her family, Elissa’s life is turned upside-down. But she will do whatever it takes to protect this girl who is linked to her soul.

Set in a futuristic (and interplanetary) society, Linked manages to be a thrilling sci-fi space adventure while at the same time challenging how far humanity is willing to go for science and examining the way mental health is handled with high school students. I really loved the way the interplanetary society was written -- it's part of Elissa's life, so it's just the way things are, but enough is explained that the reader can completely grasp the way things work. The romantic subplot was kind of predictable but I definitely still enjoyed it. (Plus, is this cover cool or what?) I devoured this book in one sitting and would recommend it to all sci-fi lovers and others as well.

Book Thoughts: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Series: Miss Peregrine #1

Ahh, where to start with Miss Peregrine... Was it strange? Yes. Was it spooky? Yes. Did I love it? Most definitely yes.

Jacob grew up on his grandfather's stories of monsters and an orphanage full of peculiar children who could do strange things (like levitate or turn invisible). Eventually, he realizes that the tales have to be make-believe... until the day his grandfather dies and he sees one of the monsters his grandfather has always described.

Naturally, everyone thinks Jacob is crazy: monsters don't exist. So Jacob sets off on a crazy quest to Wales to visit the orphanage and settle his nightmares... and finds so much more than he bargained for.

I just love this book. One of my favorites that I read over the summer and one that I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to. The characters are so much fun, the writing is great and blended seamlessly with a series of strange photographs described in the novel, and the story kept me eagerly turning pages to find out what would happen next.

A bit of a spooky read (perfect for Halloween season!), definitely a strange one, but one that I absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend.

Book Thoughts: The Summoning

Title: The Summoning
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Darkest Powers #1

The Summoning is about a girl named Chloe Saunders. She's moved around a lot since her mom died, and now her life is finally starting to calm down. She goes to a special school for the arts and dreams of being a filmmaker. Her biggest worry is that she hasn't hit puberty yet, and all of her friends have. Well, it hits - and brings more than just the normal teenage-girl problems.

Suddenly Chloe is seeing ghosts everywhere. When dead people in her school start demanding her attention and she starts talking to people who seemingly aren't there, her Aunt Lauren gets her put in a special group home called Lyle House.

At first Lyle House isn't that bad. But as Chloe gets to know the other kids - Simon, Derek, Lizzie, Rae, and Tori - she begins to suspect that there is more to this home for troubled children than meets the eye. Lyle House has a dark secret, and Chloe is determined to figure it out. But that may be more dangerous than she knows...

The Summoning kept me eagerly turning pages, and the ending left me waiting desperately for the release of The Awakening. Kelley Armstrong does an excellent job with this series, and I recommend it to anyone looking for some great dark fantasy.

[[If you can't tell, this is one of the earlier reviews I wrote. I can now add that books 2 and 3 were just as great!]]